Pillar 3

Develop an aligned learning infrastructure

We can imagine a world where human flourishing is the goal, and we can identify the new agents of learning who will guide us there. But a vision without a vehicle is merely a dream. Currently, our learning systems are fragmented, siloed by institution, and disconnected from the real world. To move from a disconnected archipelago of experiences to a seamless, learner-centered ecosystem, we must build a new digital and structural backbone. This section explores the invisible but essential infrastructure required to create coherence and guarantee access for every learner.

The construction of this backbone begins with a common language: a skills framework. We must ask what it means to shift to a currency of advancement not as seat-time, but demonstrated capability. Then, once a learner acquires a skill, where does it live? We explore the learner wallet, asking what digital infrastructure is needed to ensure learners, not institutions, own their records across the boundaries of school, work, and life.

But ownership is only valuable if there is something valuable to own. We must rethink learning resources and content, asking how we design many different kinds of learning experiences not just for learning, but for discoverability and credit-ability. How do we make learning visible wherever it happens? This leads inevitably to measurement. We challenge the monopoly of the standardized test, asking how we might capture rich, authentic evidence of growth and learning that truly reflects human potential. To navigate this complex landscape, learners need guidance, so we explore the role technology can play to elevate personalization. Finally, we address the glue that holds it all together: data interoperability. Why is the ability of systems to “talk” to one another not just a technical detail, but the essential component of a future-ready ecosystem?

These are questions of engineering as much as pedagogy. They ask us to lay the rails for a future where learning is not a series of stops and starts, but a continuous, coherent journey owned by the learner.